Next Contestant
by xPhoenixWingsx
Summary: Songfic to Nickelback's 'Next Contestant'. When a few customers at Tifa's bar get a little too handsy, Cloud doesn't like it. CloudxTifa My first attempt at a songfic.


Disclaimer: Square-Enix owns the characters, and Nickelback owns the song. I own nothing but this plot...and Cloud's motorbike.

**Cloud: You don't own my bike, you own a _figurine_.**

**Sora: Grrrr X( Anyways, I realized that, since BTR2 is own official hiatus, I need to write something to hold my reviewers over in the meantime. So here is a songfic to Nickelbacks 'Next Contestant'. I thought it could fit Cloud and Tifa. 'Nuff said.**

Next Contestant

**_I judge by what she's wearing_**

**_Just how many heads I'm tearing_**

**_Off of assholes coming onto her_**

**_Each night seems like it's getting worse._**

He sat himself at the bar as she came down the stairs. He watched as the paying customers charged through the door and immediately, he noted grimly, all eyes fell on the scantily-clad figure of his best friend.

Like them he looked at her attire for the night. All that covered her voluptuous body was a black corset laced up in pink, and a miniskirt that barely hid her dignity, and the blonde couldn't decipher what the hell she had been thinking when she put on these particular items of clothing.

_'Why does she have to wear stuff like that?'_ He asked himself the same question he had been asking every night for the past two weeks. _'All it gets her is unwanted attention.'_

He glanced around at the number of customers.

_'Tonight's gonna be a long night.'_

**_And I wish she'd take the night off_**

**_So I don't have to fight off_**

**_Every asshole coming onto her_**

**_It happens every time she works._**

His mako eyes followed her as she made her rounds with the drinks. At every table she lingered for a while, but not to chat, and he knew it.

_"Hey babe, hows about a date?"_

_"Damn, she's hot. Bet she's a wicked piece o' ass."_

_"Oh come on, I guarantee I'm the best you'll ever have."_

She remained silent, he noticed. She was used to the crude remarks that were showered upon her. She seemed emotionless, whilst he lost his nerve.

Why?

His eyes continued to watch as she returned to her place behind the bar.

"Hey Teef." He motioned to her.

She placed her elbows on the bar directly in front of him, her chin resting on her hands. A smile spread across her delicate face as they gazed into each others eyes.

"What do _you_ want?" she giggled.

"Another shot of the usual, please."

"Coming right up,"

She had barely finished speaking when a greasy jackass, drunk already (what a lightweight) approached the bar, and tried his luck.

"Hey honey. I got a little problem. Maybe you can help me." He snatched her arm and pulled it to his zipper. Unfortunately, Tifa's friend wasn't allowing it.

The blonde gently grabbed his hand, the hand that grasp the poor brunettes arm, not even looking up from his empty glass.

"Take your hand off her." He spoke calmly, but firm.

But the drunk saw no threat in this spikey-haired stranger, laughed, and continued to guide the bar maids hands towards his 'problem'.

Her hand was not even an inch closer when the blonde tightened his grip around the assholes fingers.

"Take. Your. Hands. Off." At each syllable he grasped tighter and tighters, bones crunching beneath his grip.

Asshole number 1 released his grip on Tifa's arm and clutched his aching hand as he left.

"You didn't have to do that Cloud. I could've handled it myself." She massaged her aching arm, finger-marks forming.

"Hm." He mumbled in a monotone. "So how's about that drink?"

Tifa was not amused, and he knew it when she slammed his now topped-off glass down in front of him.

**_They'll go and ask the DJ _**

**_Find out just what would she say_**

**_If they all tried coming onto her_**

**_Don't they know it's never gonna work._**

**_They think they'll get inside her_**

**_With every drink they buy her_**

**_As they all try coming onto her_**

**_This time somebody's getting hurt._**

**_Here comes the next contestant._**

Drink after drink was poured down her throat. That's how he measured how many men wanted a lay. They'd have to get her drunk first.

_'She's not a lightweight," _Cloud thought. _'But she can't handle much more.'_

She always said that it was rude to turn down a drink from a customer, but he thought there was at least a limit.

Apparently not.

He got up and went behind the bar.

"Teef, maybe you should lay off for a while." She stumbled slightly into his arms, and steadied herself.

"I'm fine."

"No you're not. You need to close."

But she didn't listen. She thought she could handle it.

'_Why's she gotta be so stubborn?"_

And Cloud watched as she was approached by another, and another, and another.

**_Is that your hand on my girlfriend?_**

**_Is that your hand?_**

Someone grabbed her ass. And she froze.

Due to her tipsy state, she wasn't reacting the way she normally would. Seeing his influence over her, the next contestant's hand lingered and groped.

"Hey!" Cloud stepped up from his stool and walked slowly over to him. "Is that your hand I see feeling up my girlfriend?"

_'Girlfriend? Did he really just say that? He was only pretending, he had to, to get all those assholes to leave her alone. Thinking he was her boyfriend would certainly put them off, right?'_

He immediately removed his hand. He was one of the few who saw what Cloud did to that guy earlier.

"No, you must be seeing things."

**_I wish you'd do it again_**

**_I'll watch you leave here limping_**

**_I wish you'd do it again_**

**_I'll watch you leave here limping_**

**_There goes the next contestant._**

Cloud went nose to nose with him.

"Do it again. I _dare ya_" Cloud growled at the handsy 'victim'. "Go on. Give me a reason to send you out of here limping."

The crowd of men that had gathered around Tifa dispersed as quickly as it had appeared.

**_I even fear the ladies_**

**_They're cool but twice as crazy_**

**_Just as bad for coming onto her_**

**_Don't they know it's never gonna work?_**

**_Each time she bats an eyelash_**

**_Somebody's grabbing her ass_**

**_This time somebody's getting hurt_**

**_Here comes the next contestant._**

Cloud held Tifa up by her shoulders. "Close the bar."

The words hadn't even left his mouth when a group of already drunk girls came waltzing in.

_'Oh god, not a hen party.'_

Tifa straightened up and smiled at her new customers. "Good evening. What can I get you?"

Cloud calmed down a little. None of the men were going near Tifa, and she was having a nice chat with the girls.

'_Wait a minute'_

The redhead of the girls.

Her hand was snaking up Tifa's thigh.

Tifa giggled, almost too drunk to be aware of the redheads creeping fingers.

_'Here we go again.'_

**_Is that your hand on my girlfriend?_**

**_Is that your hand?_**

He approached the girls and stood looking down at the redhead.

"May I help you?"

"Yeah, you can take your hand off my girlfriends thigh."

"What are you talki-" He whipped the table away effortlessly and pointed at her hand, a hand that was now lingering at Tifa's underwear.

"That."

**_I wish you'd do it again_**

**_I'll watch you leave here limping_**

**_I wish you'd do it again_**

**_I'll watch you leave here limping_**

**_There goes the next contestant._**

The girls had left, but the men who were still in the bar were pretty pissed. That blonde prick had chased out their 'fresh meat'.

"Hey asshole!" A group surrounded Cloud. "It's time you left to our business."

Upon the word 'business' one wrapped his arm around Tifa's neck and grabbed her ass.

**_I'm hating what she's wearing_**

**_Everybody here keeps staring_**

**_Can't wait til they get what they deserve_**

**_This time sombody's getting hurt_**

**_Here comes the next contestant._**

In a split second, the guy was on his ass, after Cloud's fist collided hard with his nose.

Tifa fell to the floor and crawled out of the way.

One by one the group threw punches at her friend, and she watched as he fought back.

She thought his movements so effortless, yet so destructive, as he grabbed the back of someone's head and smacked it hard on the bar.

It felt like not even a second had gone by when all were on the floor clutching broken limbs and bloody noses.

"Now." Cloud dusted himself off and pointed to the door. "GET OUT!"

**_I wish you'd do it again_**

**_Each night seems like it's getting worse_**

**_I wish you'd do it again_**

**_This time somebosy's getting hurt_**

**_There goes the next contestant_**

Tifa pulled herself to her feet and wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Thank you" she whispered, barely audible. Then her legs gave way and Cloud carried her, bridal-style, to her bedroom.

Laying her down on the bed, he kissed her forehead gently, but when he tried to leave she grabbed his sleeve.

"Stay here a while," She mumbled drunkenly.

He crawled up next to her and held her against his chest.

"Quite a night huh?" She chuckled. "What the hell came over you?"

"Nothing." He lied.

"Come on,"

"I guess..."

How the hell would he explain this...after so long?

"Tifa, I don't want you wearing stuff like this (he motioned to her clothing) anymore. To be honest, the attention you get...bothers me. And...it's not just because you're my friend. The reason I warded those guys off is because...I think...I think I love you Tifa." He breathed a great sigh of relief as the words left his lips.

He awaited her reply, utter sickness forming in his gut.

...But the only reply that met him was a lightly snoring Tifa.

He sighed and smiled as he closed his eyes and slept beside her.

There would be many more nights of this kind before she would actually hear him speak those words again.

**Sora: The end. What do you think?? Was it crap?? If so, my excuse is: "I've never done songfic's before XD"**

**Cloud: I thought it was funny the way I beat the crap outta all those guys XD**

**Sora: Lol Constructive criticism is appreciated, no flames, they burn like hell.**


End file.
